Crystal Bonds
Crystal Bonds is a limited time Odyssey Event, and the twenty-eighth in the series. It was scheduled to start on September 8, 2014 at 12:00 AM (PDT) and end on September 10, 2014 at 11:59 PM (PDT). __TOC__ Feature changes * Traps have been replaced with other Rewards such as Faerie's Blessings when players defeat Event Quest Bosses. * Title effect added. Equip a Heroes Colosseo Title to earn a boost to Odyssey Event Item Drop Rate. Odyssey Skill Cards * Gilgadol, Bloodstone Mage (UR) boosts the number of Event Items acquired by up to 60% when evolved, regardless of Skill Level. * Shalos, Ambitious Slave (Rare) boosts the number of Event Items acquired by up to 15% before and after evolution at Skill Level 10. * Ascending Soleil (UR) increases Items acquired from Test of Strength. Story "Just wait a little longer," said Renoir softly, as she gazed at her longtime friend encased in the scarlet gemstone. Of course there was no reply, only the same feeling of disappointment that swelled in her chest, leaving behind a dull pain. "I must only bear this a little longer," she continued, pressing the palm of her hand into her chest as if holding back the ache. Renoir saw her reflection in the so-called "bloodstone," a deep-red gem that possessed an abundance of magical qualities, and she now glared at it with pursed lips. She had been so proud and selfish, and yet, there had also been none more cowardly, more afraid of being alone. It was by her own hand that she sealed her friend in the vermillion crystal. And it was all the more reason why she could never forgive herself. Renoir recalled again their central creed, that their magic never be used for earthly desires. Still, she cursed her two friends' being so foolish as to have been tempted. How could they have been misled by someone so naive, no matter how much acclaim they may have desired? "Never again..." The coldness of Renoir's voice frightened even herself, and she wrapped her arms around her trembling form. Soon the need for such a masochistic rite would be gone. Soon she would be free, the curse broken, and the days of innocence returned. Looking through the glass at her dear friend Viluze once more, she whispered quietly, "I promise... I promise it will be soon." ... Yvette and the heroes had arrived in a rather unique town, and they found themselves staring at a multitude of unusual sights. It was where the Regulators of the Dark Arts had built their headquarters, so it went without saying that the streets were filled with vendors selling all sorts of arcane trinkets as well as tomes and scrolls containing the highest class sorcery. Having returned the book of forbidden magic they had received from an ex-Regulator named Lotesha, the Heroes now decided to take some time to explore the town. "What do you think goes on in that tower?" said Yvette after a while, pointing to the most conspicuous building in the area. Of course, the Heroes had not the slightest, and all in the party shook their heads. "What interest have you in my home?" Surprised by the voice behind them, the Heroes quickly spun around to see a woman wearing elegant mage's robe and a bright-red jewel around her neck. With her stern expression and silver hair, her appearance left just as much of an impression as the town did. What was more, the Heroes could not help but stare as they were hit by a tremendous feeling of deja vu. The young woman only stared back, then leaned in uncomfortably close to the nearest Hero and peered into their eyes. "Wait, might you all be...?" The silver-haired woman asked loudly, her voice echoing throughout the city streets. ... The Heroes had soon realized the reason for their deja vu. "I called for Heroes, not a nosy fairy." "I don't remember you saying I couldn't come." "Oh, so you admit you'd let yourself into anyone's home unless they explicitly told you not to?" "Of course. That's what fairies do, y'know." The Heroes had no choice but to wait for the skirmish to end. This woman, Renoir, seemed to be Yvette's equal in more ways than one, and, in particular, it was difficult to tell whose tongue was more venomous. They had been arguing since they met eyes, and the Heroes had no choice but to spectate with disinterest. Once they reached Renoir's home, she invited them all inside. Within, they saw the tower was littered with items created with the power of a certain red stone. She had told the party she had a favor to ask of them, but as she and Yvette had been quarreling the whole time, they had still not heard what it might be. The Heroes waited as they sipped the tea that had been brought out for them, when eventually Renoir seemed to tire of bickering with their companion. She now turned to the task at hand. "I have been searching for the ingredients to make a certain potion," she began, almost quietly, as if she somehow felt guilty mentioning it. "I had not intended to ask for anyone's help with this. However, the materials I need are in a place of great peril, and I fear a young dame like myself will not be enough to retrieve them alone." "That's not exactly how I would have described you, but..." "What an annoying little fly..." "I don't know about fly, but at the moment, I have a real thorn in my side," parried Yvette. Meanwhile, hoping to restore Renoir's focus, one of the Heroes inquired as to why she sought to create the potion. "You will not... help me otherwise?" "Of course we won't! What if it were a weapon?! I wouldn't be surprised..." "I wish... to save a friend." Renoir pointed to a larger red gemstone in the center of the room. As the Heroes peered inside it, they could see what looked to be a shadowy silhouette. "For as long as anyone can remember, we, that is to say those of the same academy, have used bloodstones to cast our magic," said Renoir, gently caressing the stone with her hand. "It feels like ages ago, but my childhood friend Viluze, another friend of ours, and I were researchers at the academy. One day, there was a terrible accident, and it caused Viluze to, um, transform." "What do you mean?" "Arcane research does not come without its fair share of risks. The spell we were testing turned Viluze into a demon. I had no choice but to encase her in this prison, in order to... delay the transformation process," said Renoir. A profound sadness palpable in her demeanor and expression, down to the darkest part of her eyes. "I take full responsibility for what happened. I was tired, and... I did not take as much care as I should have. Viluze would have never gone along with it, if I had not encouraged her to do so." "Hey, now, it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes," encouraged Yvette, but Renoir simply shook her head. It was clear that the young woman was in fact kind of heart. The Heroes thought she resembled a particular fairy companion even more. "All I want is to go back to the way things were. I am so tired of this guilt," began Renoir before whimpering like a lost child, "I want to be able to forgive myself." At last, Yvette took Renoir's hand. "I promise... We'll get her back." Epilogue Clearly invigorated by the prospect of being able to save her friend as they returned to the town with mendersprout in hand, Renoir's heart seemed to only race faster when she saw the destruction that awaited them. Among the wreckage, Viluze gave a laugh crueler than any Renoir had ever heard from her childhood friend. She understood immediately that in her absence, the demonic transformation had reached its completion, which allowed Viluze to break free of the bloodstone prison. Though she tried to call her friend's name, she found the pain in forming the sounds insurmountable. "It can't be," she said at last, then continued, "Maybe there's still time." The mage was in the midst of making a dash for Viluze when Yvette grabbed and pulled on her shoulder from behind. When she saw the look in the eyes of the fairy and the Heroes, she seemed to remember her purpose. Renoir left Viluze to the Heroes then ran off to where her friend should be waiting. "...I can still save her." Hearing the words apparently only further fueled Renoir's concerns. Jumping over the debris strewn about the streets of the devastated town, Renoir dashed towards the tower that somehow had escaped ruin. ... The tower was just where it had always stood. Not sparing a moment, Renoir burst through the door and hurried up the stairs to her lab. There lie Shalit, who held her arm to her chest as she leaned against the tower wall. "Thank the gods," she said, her pained expression filling Renoir's heart with sadness. "You're hurt!" "I-I'm ﬁne... It's nothing," Shalit responded meekly, clearly only half-telling the truth. Still clutching her arm, she stood upright. "She did not do so much to me. Or the tower..." Perhaps even though Viluze had lost physical control, she retained some traces of conscience. That allowed her to spare those things which she held most dear. At least, no other reasonable explanation came to mind. "We... we must act quickly." Renoir now brought out the mendersprout, her hands trembling, and placed it into a nearby cauldron. Overwhelmed by the urgency of the task, she faltered and fumbled for the first time in as long as she could remember. Shalit tried to contribute beside her, but she clearly was unaware of how to help without Renoir's instruction. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault..." Renoir said quietly, holding back the tears. Despite trying to hold in her emotions, she could still not help blaming herself. "You're wrong, Renoir... What happened to Viluze, and to me, we all share responsibility," but Renoir refused to listen no matter how many times Shalit repeated herself. "But it's okay. If that's how you would like to think of this, then I'll accept it. But I want you to understand that we weren't just swept up by your dreams. Viluze and I also felt the same way." Shalit chose her words carefully. And while Renoir did not agree with her, even she understood the sincerity with which her friend spoke. "We all share equal responsibility, so we all should have to pay for what we've done!" "No, please!" Renoir now burst out. It was difﬁcult for even the most skilled apothecaries to brew such a complex potion, and the task was made all the more difﬁcult by her emotional state. Shalit, however, was able to calm Renoir enough to restore her focus. Every moment counted in this crisis. "Thank you, Shalit, now if you would please stand back so I can do my stuff!" "Excuse me?" Renoir's friend chuckled. Then she asked, "What about Viluze, by the way? She must still be causing trouble." "It's ﬁne. I left her in good hands... She will be okay. She has to be!" ... Feeling as if they had been given more than a small task, the Heroes surveyed their surroundings. "I had a feeling you'd be strong, but you were really something else," said Yvette, almost as if in admiration while surveying the prone Viluze up close. The party had rendered the demon unconscious to prevent any further destruction to the town. They could do nothing more but to wonder at the extent of the damage caused by Viluze as they waited for Renoir to return. They were amazed by how quickly the town's people began the process of clearing the debris, even bantering and chuckling amongst themselves as they worked. "Of course! This is a mages' town, after all! Failed experiments, catastrophic explosions, you could even say we're used to it! You folk'll have a hard time living out yer days here if that's the sort of thing that bothers ya!" The Heroes assented to the old man's advice, but Yvette seemed thoroughly entranced. "It actually sounds like fun," she said, a bright glint in her eye. "Anyway, it's a certain type of person who wants to let a bird like that ﬂy through the sky... if ya catch my drift." The party pretended to understand the old man's crazed ramblings, when he disappeared back into the tumult, unconcerned as when they had met. Still amazed, the Heroes looked up to see stars shining in a bright, afternoon sky. "Were those always there?" That party continued gazing up at the mysterious sight until they were interrupted by a voice calling for Viluze. When they turned to it they saw Renoir and another young woman they had not met before running towards them. "What were you thinking?!" Clearly concerned by the senseless Viluze, Renoir ran up to and grabbed the nearest Hero by their collar. "Hey, calm down! She's just unconscious, that's all!" "Haven't any of you ever learned to treat a woman with respect?!" The Heroes did their best to calm the flustered Renoir, while filled with frustration at the accusation. They had, as a matter of fact, been taught that particular lesson a number of times already. Still, having dismounted her pedestal, Renoir now took a vial from her broach, and poured a drop of potion into Viluze's mouth. Slowly but surely, as if time were reversing its heady flow, Viluze's skin began to change back to its original form. "I-it's not the prettiest transformation I've ever seen." Certainly, watching a person's body transform was not a sight the Heroes could say they missed seeing in the past. Yvette looked on with curiosity, but Renoir and what must have been her other friend held their breath in anticipation. And then it was done. In fact, next to her friends Renoir and Shalit, Viluze appeared a modest and shy beauty. Exactly the opposite of the one who let out the cackling from earlier and destroyed the town. "Ungh," now groaned Viluze as she opened her eyes. The Heroes stepped away, not wanting to intrude in their reunion and also knowing that Renoir had likely been holding back tears from the time they met. Sure enough, they heard a loud, sentimental wail from behind them before long. ... "You're kind of a strange one, aren't you?" The Heroes felt no small disappointment hearing that Yvette and Renoir had resumed their bout. Yvette ﬁghting for the party's well-earned reward and Renoir the indignity in such an unceremonious departure. The Heroes tried to interject with something that would put an end to the ﬁghting, but it was to no avail. In the afternoon heat, the boisterous scene was also drawing an interested throng of people. "Stupid fairy." "Clumsy mage." "Obstinate." "Incorrigible." "Show off." There seemed to be no end to the insults from either party. "Seriously, at the very least you could thank us." Renoir sighed as she threw a bag at the group. Inside of it the Heroes found a modest quantity of gold and some remaining mendersprout as well. When Yvette at last thanked her, a sheepish grin spread across Renoir's face. "I'll never forget What you've done for me. 'Til we meet again, Heroes, Yvette." "Finally calling me by my name, huh?" "Annoying fairy." The two having ﬁnished What was perhaps their last argument, at least for a while, the three friends sent off the Heroes. The party departed from the town with the sun high over their heads. Chapters/Quests *Encountered every 25 levels after level 100. Individual rewards iOS item collection iOS victory count reward iOS final rankings Lucky ranking rewards Mega lucky ranking rewards Guild rewards iOS guild rankings Boss Defeat Reward Category:Odyssey Events Category:Crystal Bonds